


Who Sings for Asfrarus-Part One- Journey to Asfarus

by Charms7116



Series: Rik and Ren [2]
Category: Firefly, Original Work, Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Adventure, Aliens, Droids, Gen, Grey Jedi, Inspired by Firefly, Inspired by Star Wars, Original Characters - Freeform, Original Fiction, Original Universe, Psionic Powers, Robots, Science Fiction, Space Marines, Space Opera
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-07
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-12 13:15:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 15,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29261091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Charms7116/pseuds/Charms7116
Summary: This is Rik and Ren's second adventure.It is taken after Incident at Saris which is a good introduction to how they got the ship and their crew and I thought it was a good space adventure but noone else seems to agree with me.So here's hoping I have more success with this one. ( I will still post Saris though)  So well here's their second adventure and the first one probably doesn't necessarily have to be read.As stated this story is strongly inspired by both Star Wars and Firefly although it isn't actually taken in either universe.  But the Fandom Tags won't let me put in 'Inspired by'.... although the other tags do.Here the Brothers head off to the planet Asfarus which is in occupied space and well the first part is actually more on them getting to Asfarus, and Part Two is what happens on Asfarus.
Relationships: None Apply
Series: Rik and Ren [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1951441
Comments: 2





	1. COWs!!!

**Author's Note:**

> Chapter One Summary
> 
> One the refugee world of Severus Rik and Ren have a disagreement over some Cargo that Ren has agreed to take.

**Severus – Refugee Commune One- Just outside Occupied Space- 2952**

“ **T** hey want us to **_WHAT_**!!” Rik was heard yelling at his Counterpart Ren “you **can’t** be serious Ren!” outside the Serendipity.  
  
Kimmie, Kayla, Sera and River, peered out of the ship’s open hold and saw Rik and Ren standing together obviously caught up in a heated discussion about something.  
  
“Think this is one of those times when things start flying around?” Kayla joked to her three shipmates.  
  
“Yep maybe,” said Kimmie “maybe we should duck for cover?”  
  
“Rik we need the money, and it’ll be only for a few hours…. 24 at most” said Ren “the planet that needs them is only about 24 hours away, they promised to pay us well for taking them”.  
  
“But **_COWS_** Ren? **COWS**? What they think we are. _a cattle truck_?” Rik said.  
  
“No, but we are a Freighter, and we are on the edge of occupied space, and not a lot of freelance ships come out with supplies,” Ren said.  
  
“How are we supposed to fit _25 cows_ in our Hold?”  
  
“There is room in the main hold…it’ll be a bit cramped but their used to that we can use the aft hold for their food”.  
  
“With my Starfighter!”  
  
“They said that they would look after your Starfighter,” Ren said, “ we can do the drop when we come back from Asfarus or before, by moving the Asfarus goods to the aft hold and leave your starfighter here whilst we do it, there is enough room in the converted hold for the Asfarus goods if we leave the starfighter here while we do it, they offered to pay us well for it, they’re desperate Rik, and the planet that needs the cattle has been affected by raids”.  
  
“But it’s MY starfighter!” Rik said.  
  
“Well _fly_ it if you don’t want to leave it here!” Ren said “Look they _need_ the cattle! I said we’d do it for them!”  
  
“Argh! Ren! CATTLE!” said Rik.  
  
“Rik…they need our help,” Ren said.  
  
“Yes I know, but well…cattle?”  
  
“Cattle,” Ren said, “we can do it before we go to Asfarus or after, but I said I’d do it!”  
  
“Ok guess it is a good way to junk the ship up a bit,” Rik said.  
  
“So before?”  
  
“Yeah Ok, but they better be paying us well for it!”

Ren told him the amount, and he nodded “Ok fair enough! Just keep them away from my Starfighter!”  
  
“They have offered to look after it for you!” said Ren.  
  
Rik muttered something under his breath and said, “tell them we’ll do it”.  
  
Ren nodded and walked off; Rik went back to moving some of the load to the aft hold humming as he went.


	2. Severus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Basically a bit of a background Chapter .

**T** hey had arrived on Severus a few days ago, the planet was on the edge of occupied space, and the camp held about 2000 refugees from one of the planets that had gotten occupied.   
  
Thus the supplies drop, the people on Severus were farmers and miners, and they were constantly under threat by the T’ron, so the planet was full of animals and refugees, Kayla loved it here though and had happily put in time helping them out on the farms, coming from Saris 4 she hadn’t seen too much like this, so it was a new experience.  
  
Kimmie and River weren’t so impressed, seeing both of them had come from a desert world of farmers, struggling to survive.  
  
Rik and Ren had also used the time to help establish the hospice, set up the equipment and at the same time using their healing skills to help out with the injured.  
  
The people were grateful to two Jedaini Healers who were also Doctors here even if it was only for a few days, Rik and Ren had both been busy helping them and the refugees.  
  
Kayla said, “Ok guess we don’t have to duck for cover after all!”  
  
Kimmie chuckled “yeah”.  
  
“Ok, “ said Rik coming over and noticing the girls (Sera was the ships AI and a hologram, but she was so advanced it was hard to tell she was one) “seems we are taking the cows, after all, we need to remove the remains of the load to the aft hold once I get my starfighter out, it’s just the goods for Asfarus left so they should fit. Also, we could use the empty quarters I guess if we need too…”.  
  
Sera nodded “I have taken worse Master Rik, they will fit in the main hold if we clear it totally, and we can put the rest of the load into the spare quarters if we need to, and if we leave your fighter here while we take the cattle…it will only be for a little while after all”.  
  
“Mmm ok. that makes sense; they said they look after it…” Rik said.  
  
“Thought we might have had to duck then!” Kimmie joked.  
  
Rik grinned which showed his teeth and said “no, believe me, you’ll know when you have to duck! “ he paused “Ok can you get started on moving some of the stuff for Asfarus and clearing the main hold for Ren’s _ **Cows!**_ ” clearly Rik _still_ wasn’t entirely happy with the idea which the girls thought cute, the Brothers rarely argued or disagreed on anything, but it proved that they were indeed individuals when they did.  
  
Sera nodded “ at once, Master Rik!”  
  
Rik nodded “Ok I would help, but I promised to help vaccinate some of the refugee children from Chickenpox and measles so……”  
  
“Understood Master Rik”.  
  
He nodded “Kayla, would you like to come with me?”  
  
Kayla said “ really?”  
  
“Yes,” said Rik “you need to learn this too, so it’s a good chance to start, but before we do….have you had your chickenpox and measles shots done?”  
  
“Uhhuh,” said Kayla “smallpox too and Scarlet Fever and all the others that are required”.  
  
“Ok,” said Rik “OK Kimmie, River, how about you?”  
  
“Err not sure,” said Kimmie.  
  
“Ok I’ll check later, but your adults anyway so you’re probably safe, Rik and I seem naturally immune, I was mainly concerned about Kayla because she is still technically a child, and also some of the refugee children do have it”.  
  
Kayla said, “I’m _thirteen_!”  
  
Rik said “I know you are, but you can still get it ok? Besides, I was making sure, some of the refugee kids are sick, so that’s why we are doing the vaccinations, and they needed the medical supplies”.  
  
“Oh yeah…guess so”.

Rik said “just making sure you don’t get sick either! Ok, Bob, Kayla come with me”.  
  
“Ok,” said Kayla as Ivory joined her mewing, Kayla picked the kitten up and put it on her shoulder.  
  
“Shoulder cat,” Rik said with a chuckle I know a Master that has a parrot that always perches on his shoulder, she’ll have a bit of trouble with that though when she’s older though”.  
  
“She likes been with me,” said Kayla.  
  
“Fair enough,” said Rik and picked up his medical bag, the one he and Ren were never without and said “Ok, Bob, Kayla, follow me” he handed Kayla a small case “hold onto this, it’s spare vaccination in case we need it, I’ll teach you how to administer one”.  
  
She nodded “Ok”.

“it’s quite easy,” said Rik as they walked into the refugee camp.  
  
Kayla said, “this is what I am here for…to learn”.  
  
Rik said “I know” he smiled at her “sorry I haven't been demeaning when I called you a child Kayla, I was just concerned that maybe you hadn’t been vaccinated”.  
  
Kayla nodded “I have, look, my mother, she mightn’t have been a model mother, I barely remember her, and I think she was a prostitute, slave, or something, but she did make sure I got vaccinated, I don’t think I was entirely planned…but well she decided to keep me and try to raise me the best way she could. Instead of putting me up for adoption or selling me into slavery or something…that’s what happened to River I think, or her mother was a slave one of the two but as I said she was gunned down when I was about five…”.  
  
“In front of you?”  
  
She nodded “ she got me to hide though I think, she knew she knew she was going to die”.  
  
“Whoa! No wonder your inner voice was so loud! And she was probably a Sensitive as well” he chuckled “Ok stick close and do what I do”.  
  
She nodded “Ok”.  
  
Rik said “you may find some of this disturbing I’ll warn you now, but it is part of being a Healer so be aware of that Ok. A lot of these people had fled here from the T’ron, so there is a lot of negative feelings, Ren’s been teaching you to shield so use that, and, yeah keep your lightsabre close” as Kayla over the last two weeks had completed her first test as an apprentice Jadaini, building her lightsabre, she had yet to use it in actual combat, but she had made her sword, it was pink, as she had used a rose quartz as one of its components, Rik and Ren were both extremely proud of her and had marked it as a flying pass.  
  
“Yes, I know,” she said.  
  
“That is your life,” said Rik “ take care of it”.  
  
She nodded “I will”.  
  
“It is part of who you will become” Rik continued making Kayla giggle “ what’s so funny?”  
  
“You being all Jedai Master on me,” Kayla said, “it doesn’t suit you, Master Rik, Master Ren does it _so_ much better.”  
  
“I don’t know whether to be _insulted_ or not,” Rik said, “ but your right Kid, Ren does do it a lot better, regardless of what he says he is a **LOT** wiser than me!”   
  
Kayla said “yeah”.  
  
Rik smiled at her and said, “Ren is probably more your master than I am, but well, we are both responsible for you”.  
  
“I know,” she said.  
  
Rik nodded “ come along Bob”.  
  
Kayla nodded and happily followed Rik happy to help the refugees, she felt that she had been sheltered a little too much and she felt she was finally starting on her journey to become a full Knight, now even if it just meant helping with vaccinations for the refugee kids.  
  
Rik said, “I’ll show you how to use the vaccination equipment it’s not difficult”.  
  
Kayla nodded “Ok”.


	3. Medical Duties

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rik takes Ren and his Apprentice Kayla to do some medical duties.

**R** ik walked into the camp and said to one of the workers there “ we’re here to do the vaccinations on the children, I’m Doctor Rik, and this is my apprentice Kayla Doonsing”.  
  
“Ok,” said the worker “follow me Dr Rik” she led him into one of the larger prefabs and there were a group of children of various ages waiting there, Kayla’s heart went out to them, as she sensed emotions from the children such as fear, sadness and desperation and loneliness.  
  
“The poor kids,” said Rik softly, picking up some of it himself, proving that he was indeed a Healer and Doctor “some of them have seen things no kid should have too” Rik had always said that Ren was more empathic than he and that he ‘ _felt_ ’ things more but Rik also could.  
  
“I sort of know how they feel,” she said softly “that could have so easily been me if the Order hadn’t found me, frightened and lost”.  
  
Rik looked at her and then said “ oddly enough, in many ways, so do I. You didn’t see Ren and me when we first came to Saris. Corran Pairs like us when we get separated like Ren, and I did…well we were frightened, not wanting to be separated, sad and lost too. We may have been near full-grown, but to be honest. We were newly born” he entered the tent and said “Ok, who's first?” he smiled and stepped forward, the children looked at him a little fearfully.  
  
Kayla said “he won’t hurt you! Honestly! He’s a Jedai”.  
  
Rik sighed and said “I _knew_ Ren should have been doing this! People aren’t scared of him! He may look like Dragonkin, we both do, but he’s got a gentle face and smile” Rik looked a bit like a feathery Raptor.  
  
Kayla said, “he won’t hurt you honest!”  
  
Rik said, “I’m a _nice_ Dinosaur!” Kayla giggled.  
  
One of the women came up, Kayla didn’t recognise her race and said: “sorry, Dr Rik it’s just that….”.  
  
“I look a little scary” Rik replied “understandable, but seriously I won’t hurt them! I’m here to give them some vaccinations, for Measles and Smallpox and the like. It won’t hurt, but I know there have been some recent breakouts amongst you of them. So, the vaccinations are for Measles, Smallpox and a couple of other common communal diseases including the Flu, well your races variation of them at any rate, all in one”.  
  
“Ok,” said the woman “ sorry it is just that many of the children have been traumatized and well never seen your kind before”.  
  
“I’m not native to this universe, so you probably haven’t seen my kind before, but I won’t hurt you, honest. So, who's first?”  
  
“I’m game,” said one of the older children “you’re a Jedaini Knight, and that is so cool!”  
  
Rik said “thanks” he nodded to Kayla “Kayla watch what I do for a bit, and then I’ll show you how to administer the vaccination, you could do the babies and younger children seeing you aren’t so well… _scary_!”  
  
Kayla giggled and said, “you’re not scary, Master Rik”.  
  
“I am to this lot”.  
  
Kayla said “ I guess, but seriously you look like a feathery humanoid Raptor almost,” she liked Rik's long blue-grey feathers, he had vestigial wings on his back, he looked Artean with possibly just a hint of something else mixed in.  
  
“I knew Ren should have been doing this and not me. We may both look Saurian, but Ren looks gentler, less Raptorial seeing he is more rounded” Rik said.  
  
Kayla said, “ where did Master Ren go anyway”.  
  
“Arranging our next drop of course… _Cattle_!” he groaned “to one of the other planets in this system, there isn’t much only about four or so, it’s about 24 hours away, and they haven’t heard from them for about a month, although they said they were suffering raids though and needed some more livestock, but still!”  
  
Kayla said, “ you two were arguing about it”.  
  
“Yeah,” Rik said “ Ren and I, we don’t always see eye to eye admittingly” he administered a vaccination to the child that came up to him, Kayla didn’t recognise their race, humanoid, definitely but with blue skin and an odd crest or something around their heads or on their foreheads, she thought at first that maybe they were the same race as Rik and Ren’s mental projection, but she realised they weren’t.  
  
“Who are these people?” she asked, “ they’re not Severans who are human”.  
  
“Severus is a human colony world, so most of the racial stock here is human, but these people are Caltorian or Caltritian depends on who you speak to, mainly farmers or miners they're the same race as the body Ren, and I found on the mining platform at Saris, their humanoid, much like you are humanoid”.  
  
“OH,” said Kayla.  
  
“They’re from the same system as Asfarus,” said Rik as a girl came up to him “this won’t hurt” he assured her and vaccinated her.  
  
Kayla watched as Rik went around doing vaccinations, occasionally stopping, to refit the hypo, and after a while, he paused and said “Ok I will show you what to do, and you can do the babies and younger children and adjusted a hypo and said to her “know how to use one of these?”  
  
“Kinda,” she said.  
  
“OK,” he said “ don’t touch this” he indicated a thing on it “that’s the adjusted dosage, there is enough for about a dozen, the red light will come on when it is empty, the orange means that it is getting low and the green means there’s plenty, there is no needle involved all you need to do is hold it against the skin, probably on the shoulders on the babies the upper arm basically” he indicated his upper arm “ and press the trigger, a light will flash, and the patient is done”.  
  
“Ok”  
  
“I’ll supervise the first couple, but you think you’ll be Ok?”  
  
She nodded “Ok”.  
  
Rik nodded and went to where the babies and younger children were looked after by their mothers and Aide workers “this is my apprentice Kayla, she’ll be administering the vaccinations under my supervision” he said to them “I’m Dr Rik, I do have my ID on me if you are concerned” he pulled out his ID and handed it to the workers, that showed he was indeed a recognised medical practitioner.  
  
The lady looked at it, and Rik said: “Kayla is under my supervision”.  
  
“Ok,” said the Aide worker.  
  
Rik nodded and nodded to Kayla and Kayla went over to the tots who all looked at her.  
  
“Ssh,” said one of the mothers “she’s here to help.”  
  
Kayla said “hello”.  
  


“Kyla,” said her mother.  
  
“Kyla” said Kayla “I’m Kayla we have similar names”.  
  
“Your Gorta-Trellian,” said the mother recognising her people.  
  
Kayla nodded “yes”.  
  
“Are you a fairy?” the little girl asked then, noticing Kayla’s folded down wings.  
  
“No, but my people have wings,” said Kayla “want to see them opened?” the little girl nodded.  
  
Kayla nodded and opened her beautiful wings, most GT had batlike or birdlike wings, but Kayla’s were an exception to the rule (it wasn’t unknown), and they were more mothlike, or butterfly-like and Kayla’s wings were gorgeous they were like stars.  
  
“Gee, you have beautiful wings, Kayla,” said Rik quietly “ believe I have said that already”.  
  
“You have so has Ren,” she said.  
  
“Mmm,” he said as she administered a vaccination.  
  
“Well done Kayla,” he said as she administered another, he stayed with her until she had finished the hypo and loaded another for her “think you’re ok on your own now…there are a _lot_ of older kids”.  
  
She nodded “yes”.  
  
“Let me know when you run out,” he said, handing her a spare “this should do 24 or so, so take your time as you do it”.  
  
She nodded “Ok”.  
  
Rik nodded “Ok” he turned to another worker and said, “keep an eye on her for me”.  
  


“Ok,” she said.  
  
“She’s just learning”.  
  
“We will,” said the aid worker.  
  
Rik nodded and continued vaccinating the older children and some of the adults as they had now gotten over their initial fear of him, his Jedai robes loaned him an element of trust and maturity and a quiet authority, he felt his ‘ _sync_ ’ go off as Ren entered the prefab with his vaccination toolkit.  
  
He spied Rik “ all done; they will drop the cargo off tomorrow morning”.  
  
“How many?”  
  
“25” he replied, “Sera said we could fit more, but I left it at 25, 5 Bulls, around 15 cows and some calves too young to be taken away from their mother”.  
  
Rik nodded “I still think it is a bad idea…”.  
  
“It’s only for 24 hours Rik, besides we need to junk the ship up a bit”.  
  
Rik said, “Ok I got Kayla vaccinating the babies and younger children, maybe you could help her and supervise”.  
  
Ren nodded and went to Kayla who looked up as she sensed him, she had spent the last few weeks with them both as they both taught helped her with strengthening her shielding and she had learnt to tell them apart by just their auras, how they both ‘ _felt_ ’, Ren he felt safe, warm and kind, like a bright, beautiful healing light bathing her, she remembered what she had seen of the tall angelic like being she had seen when linked with him once before.  
  
Rik been his Brother felt similar but different, he was all sharp angles and edgier and darker than Ren was, with an underlying restlessness and energy, but they had one thing in common, and that was that they were way more powerful together than people thought they were and that was something they kept low key, and even alone they were pretty powerful, she wanted to be like one of them one day.  
  
Ren said, “Kayla, how are you going?”  
  
“Ok…but they were a little wary of Rik,” she said.  
  
Ren smiled and said “ _Hmm_ Rik does _have_ that effect on people sometimes, even I sometimes do! But other than that, ok?”  
  
She nodded “I was surprised to see people scared of Rik!”  
  
Ren laughed “ _Hmm_ well yeah, people get scared of me too sometimes!”  
  
“Is that why both of you hide yourselves under your robes, so much? and why you hunch a little?”  
  
“Partially, also I’m tall…I feel a little self-conscious sometimes” he said, “Ok I’ll supervise, you do the vaccinations”.  
  
She nodded eagerly to do that and Ren waved Rik off “I’ll supervise here” he said.  
  
Rik nodded “Ok, I’ll head over to the main hospice prefab after this there are a few patients there, and they’ll appreciate us having a look at them…. admit it Ren this is why we became doctors in the first place!”  
  
“We were also a Healer,” said Ren and then he added, “I’ll bring Kayla over then”.  
  
Rik nodded “Ok” and went back to his work.  
  
Kayla said, “People get frightened of you to Ren….?”  
  
Ren nodded “I’m alien…people they get scared of things they don’t understand or have never seen…”.  
  
Kayla said, “but you’re _not_ scary!”  
  
Ren chuckled and said, “ still people find me a little… _off-putting_ ”.  
  
“I guess,” said Kayla “ maybe I don’t see it because my kind is descended from Dragonkin”.  
  
Ren said “ probably…. But you don’t look Dragonkin, whereas Rik and I do, when we finished here, we’ll take you over to the ward prefab, think you’re up to that?”  
  
She nodded “I’m a Healer… so I should get used to it”.  
  
He nodded “ you have a long path though young Apprentice, but so do Rik and I, we will find our way together, and do not ever let anyone think you are weak or soft, that is a general misconception when it comes to Healers I have found”.  
  
“I know” he grinned at her and helped her finish the vaccinations, she followed his lead, feeling safe and happy within his presence.  
  
Ren checked the final baby and vaccinated the baby and then said: “ everyone been vaccinated?”.  
  
“Yes,” said the Aide “thanks so much for this”.  
  
“Ok, we’ll head across to the ward prefab and tend to the wounded there,” said Ren.  
  
“Ok,” said the aide.  
  
Ren put the kits away and said “ follow me Kayla” and left the prefab and walked towards another.  
  
“you ready for this Kayla?” Ren asked.  
  
“Ok,” said Kayla.  
  
“Remember to use your shields,” he said, “ the Way is with you, and I will boost you if necessary, people in here are hurt, and sick”.  
  
“It’s ok,” said Kayla, “I think”.  
  
Ren nodded “I’ll boost you some” she felt his link with her, she always liked it when he did that, he felt warm and safe and healing.  
  
“Wow! I could get hooked on that!” she said.  
  
“On what?” he asked.  
  
“Your aura! It’s so beautiful and calming!” she said “I could bathe in it forever! Are you sure you’re not an angel! Or at least half?”  
  
“No,” said Ren “but lately Rik and I have been wondering if we are, what we thought we were as well”.  
  
“Your mental projection!” she said.  
  
Ren nodded “yeah, it is not what we expected it to be! Similar but not the same” he paused “it’s weird, ok follow my lead this is who we are Kayla and who _you_ will be”.  
  
She nodded and followed him in. The hospice was full, and there were many overwhelming emotions.  
  
“ _Shield_!” said Ren softly “Like I have been teaching you, a lot of these people have been traumatised, by the T’ron, their home and world were taken, loved ones lost, Caltorian’s are generally a peaceful farming folk now but weren’t always so, and their world Caltris was violently taken away from them….thousands were killed, we are lucky that as many survived as they did….” He paused, obviously stressed a little himself, he was a little more used to this, but Rik said he ‘ _felt_ ’ things more than he did, Kayla felt she had had to be stronger for both her and her gentle Master.  
  
Ren smiled encouragingly at her and said, “worry about yourself, not me as well….I’m used to this, give me…a _moment_ ”.  
  
She nodded and waited; within seconds, Ren started to walk again, he went to a female patient, obviously very pregnant and said to her “I’m Dr Ren, how far apart are the contractions?” he asked her.  
  
“Um err, about every 20 minutes or so, but I’m not due for another month…somethings wrong I know it is” she said, he nodded.  
  
“We may have to induce the birth, your baby is distressed, I can feel It has anyone been to see you?”  
  
“One of the nurses about 20 minutes ago,” she said.  
  
He nodded “if you feel any more pain than normal, cry out, your baby is mildly distressed, but it may get worse, here I’ll see if I can calm her a bit”.  
  
“Her?” she asked.  
  
“You didn’t know?” he asked.  
  
“No,” she said.  
  
“I’m sorry,” said Ren “but you’re having a girl, she’s crying out loud, here take my hands, and I will try to calm her”.  
  
“A _daughter_ ….” She said, “ he always wanted a little girl….we have two fine sons…but my mate…he also wanted a girl”.  
  
Ren nodded “guessing he died in the takeover?”  
  
She nodded “ he was a warrior….he tried to protect our two sons and me….”  
  
Ren nodded “ no wonder the baby is crying then….” He said, “Ssh little one let me try and calm you”.  
  
“Wow!” Kayla said, “I can feel her!”  
  
Ren nodded “the baby is a Sensitive, that is why she is distressed, she probably felt her father die…”.  
  
“GT babies they sense stuff like that too,” said Kayla.  
  
“Because your race is strongly telepathic, like my own is,” he said he took the woman’s hands “calm little one…” he turned to Kayla “ find one of the nurses, if I can’t calm the baby we may have to induce the birth, and even if I do, she is going to need constant supervision, the baby is distressed”.  
  
Kayla nodded and ran off to find a nurse. Ren nodded and continued trying to calm the baby.  
  



	4. Brain Bug!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Be Warned this is a bit of a shocking Chapter!  
> Something unexpected happens.

Kayla suddenly stopped when she heard a mental scream, she had never felt something like that, and the pain she felt, it echoed in the Way, and she blocked her ears, trying to shield it, an alarm went off, and the nurses ran to one of the covered beds.  
  
“What the….?” Kayla said the pain in it was terrible.  
  
“ _Hmm_ , knew that was going to happen,” said a voice “I’ve seen it before, too many times, I did _warn_ them” as Master Rik joined her, she felt him link to her to boost her shields.  
  
“Master Rik,” she asked.  
  
Rik said, “Brain Bug, come with me Kayla, you need to be able to recognise this, it is not pleasant though…but”.  
  
“Like the body at the station?” she asked.  
  
He nodded “only this victim is still alive, where’s Ren?”  
  
“Trying to help the pregnant woman,” Kayla said.  
  
Rik nodded “they may have to induce the birth if Ren can’t calm the baby, that is a shame though, he would be better at this”.  
  
“He sent me to find a nurse,” said Kayla “ and this god awful mental screaming started….”  
  
Rik nodded “ Brain Bug, not pleasant, Ren and I seem immune, but basically, they eat the brain from the inside out…the enemy uses them to control people to make Thralls out of. And it doesn’t stop when you die, the bug it just keeps on growing and feeding till there is nothing left. Your basically dead if you get one of those inside you. I have seen this a little too much. You find someone with a full-grown Brain Bug inside of their heads, well basically it is just best to kill them outright…else” he indicated the nurses “ _THAT_ happens! We can extract the larvae and even an adolescent but a full-grown one. Let’s just say it is best and kinder is to kill the victim. The Bug like I said can control a dead body too for a limited period”.

Kayla’s eyes widened “I….!”  
  
“Ren and I, we’re seen it happen to a whole village, it’s terrible,” Rik said with a sigh, “I told them it was too late” he went to the covered bed and Kayla followed, Kayla wanted to see this, she knew it wasn’t going to be pleasant, but she had to know!  
  
Rik held up a clawed hand “maybe you should stay out here” he said.  
  
Kayla said “Um…”.  
  
Rik turned to her and said “it is up to you, Kayla” as the screams started again both mentally and not.  
  
Rik went to the nurses and said: “there is nothing you can do for him, it’s too late, I already told you that….you _can’t_ remove it!”  
  
“But….” The Nurse said.  
  
“I’ve seen this too many times on the battlefield,” said Rik “normally if we come across victims of these, we shoot them in the head…. only way to kill them. I can ease his passing some though, make it a little more gentle if you let me”.  
  
Kayla peered around the curtain and gasped at what she saw, a Caltorian male she recognised, and in great pain, his eyes were practically rolled up to only their whites were visible, he was sweating, and his nose and ears were leaking blood, and the back of his head and neck was swollen, he was lying on his back mentally screaming in pain she could tell from his expression, and he was strapped to the bed, his eyes were also bulging.  
  
“Oh my….” She said.  
  
Rik was too involved in what he was doing to notice her “let me ease his passing” he said again “you _can’t_ save him!”  
  
“Let him,” said another Nurse joining them, she was the Head Nurse “he is a Jadaini Guardian”.  
  
The nurse looked at Rik and then at the Matron “ but Matron?”  
  
“You can’t save him” Rik repeated “out in the field, we shoot Victims of Brain Bugs in the head…it is the only way to sever the connection and kill them, but I can ease his passing a little more gently!” he indicated the man on the bed “Please let me do this” Rik said “before it is too late to do so. You cannot save him”.  
  
“Very well, Dr Rik,” said the Matron.  
  
Rik nodded and went up to the victim and put his hands on either side of the victims head “ give me some room; this can get messy” they moved aside save Kayla who stood watching.  
  
“Kayla are you sure you want to see this?” Rik asked her then.  
  
Kayla said “yes”.  
  
He nodded “Ok come in then” he turned to the Matron “One of the nurses needs to see to the pregnant woman, my brother is trying to calm her baby, but he mightn’t be successful, you may have to induce her birth. The baby is distressed she may die”.  
  
“Already got someone,” said the matron “ do you want me to stay?”  
  
Rik nodded “if you want?”  
  
“And the girl?”  
  
“She’s Ren’s and I’s Apprentice, the choice is hers,” said Rik.  
  
“Ok,” said the Matron.  
  
Kayla asked, “is there anything I can do Master Rik?”  
  
Rik said, “ not at the moment Kayla, you’re not strong enough, Ren could and would be better at this, but he’s busy with the baby, this isn’t going to be pleasant though”.  
  
“What you going to do?”  
  
“Make a connection,” Rik said.  
  
“Won’t that affect Ren though?”  
  
“No, he’ll know what to do,” said Rik “hopefully the person's personality isn’t so degraded that there is nothing left to save…it’s gonna hurt though…it always does”.  
  
Kayla nodded “Ok”.  
  
Rik took the patients head and gently but firmly held it and took a deep breath and closed his eyes and gave himself over to the Force and forced his way into the patient's mind, in the only way he could, closing his eyes he centred himself and his hands glowed.  
  
** _Listen to me_!** he demanded mentally ** _this is going to **hurt** , and I don’t care! I’m releasing this poor soul regardless of what you do_! ** he attacked the Brain Bug viciously with his Force powers, giving in to the darker side of his nature, briefly.  
  
“You shall die!” said Rik verbally then, his hands and eyes glowing “but as you die, you will free this poor soul you hold in your thrall, you will both die …I am sorry I can’t do anything about that, but I am severing your connection! And this is going to **HURT**!”   
  
Kayla was amazed at the change that had come over Rik as he fought with the Brain Bug and had to remind herself that there was no ‘Dark Side’ and no ‘Light Side’ only the Force and what you chose to do with it was your choice!  
  
Rik's eyes glowed as he cut mercilessly through the layers of the victims brain to find its core and kill the Brain Bug, the victim screamed in pain and with unusual strength, broke the bonds that held him to the bed and reached up for Rik and grabbed his hands trying to tear them from his head, Kayla assumed it was the Bug in control at the moment, but still, her eyes widened.  
  
Rik hissed and cried out in pain as well, feeling Ren put his shields up, Ren wouldn’t feel it so intensely, but he would know.  
  
** _Careful Rik…be mindful of the darkness within you_ ** he heard Ren’s voice into his mind as he helped the nurses induce the birth of the baby as he tried to calm the baby and it’s mother as well, he winced as he and Rik felt each other’s pain at the moment ** _One, Rik, One, like we were long ago, and still can be sometimes_ ** he said, and he started to glow a little as well.  
  
“What’s happening?” one of the nurses alarmed, asked Ren.  
  
“Rik and I, we’re linked, we’re a Corran Pair, _Counterparts_ , we share our soul” he paused and got his focus again “Shalesta breathe!...this is going to hurt, but you have been through childbirth before, your baby she is alive, but this may be a little harder on you both, seeing your baby is distressed” he went to sit up, wincing in pain as a wave of pain from Rik hit him, and his nose started to bleed.  
  
Rik carried on for all he was worth, slicing through the layers of the Brain Bug, finding its core and it’s a connection to its host, his eyes glowed “Got you!” he suddenly said and picturing his power as a claw, he severed the connection.  
  
The victim cried out in pain and convulsed violently, Rik dug his talons in, and he cried out in pain and lights ran down his form, him, Ren, and the victim were all linked at the moment sharing the experience, he felt the bug die, it’s lifeforce extinguish, and he knew he had little time to ease the victims passing, he held on though as the victim with one final violent convulsion, that went through his whole body and affected Rik as well, and he felt the victims brain implode, Rik gritted his teeth, his own eyes rolling up to only the whites were visible and shook violently, hissed in pain as he felt the victim die, his claws glowed with energy and the patient with a final shudder and a death cry his eyes, nose and ears dripped with blood as his head imploded inwards, blood went everywhere, and then the victim collapsed on the bed, now a shattered, dried husk, crumbling into pieces and fluids.  
  
“Oh my… _Gods_!” Kayla said, feeling sick as Rik growled and collapsed to his knees, holding his hands to his face, his eyes, nose, and ears bleeding “Master Rik!”  
  
“ _Be One with the Force and the Way?”_ Rik said hoarsely and suddenly “ your suffering has ended” and got to his feet, shakily, but he collapsed face down onto the spare bed and curled up.  
  
“Master Rik!” said Kayla as she noticed that there were cuts on his hands from the struggle and above her a light spluttered and short-circuited.  
  
“Wow….!” Kayla said amazed as she realised just how much power Rik had been using, due to the inner struggle “That was…. **INTENSE**!!!” all around them both wires crackled, and above it, all, was the sound of a baby taking its first breath and crying, and suddenly all the wires were stopped by another Force.


	5. Lessons and Thralls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ren and Kayla. Ren takes Kayla on his rounds

“ **M** y head….” Rik groaned, and Kayla saw who was the source of stopping the wires, Ren walked in holding up a hand, also bleeding, and he was covered in blood probably from the birthing of the baby.  
  
“Rik!” said Ren “ _Look_ at me! you ok!”  
  
“Um yeah, I _think_ so,” said Rik “my vision is blurry!”

“Your eyes were bleeding,” said Ren “you Ok?”  
  
“Yeah I think so,” Rik said, “Err that one was deeply rooted, and I don’t have your gentler touch, your way better at this than me”.  
  
“Um,” said Kayla.  
  
Ren said “Kayla? You ok?”  
  
“Err yeah…I just well…”.  
  
“Never seen anything like this before,” Ren said “ _ **RIK**_!”  
  
“She chose to remain,” he said.  
  
Ren said, “ fair enough….but it is not only you I’m concerned about, but the trouble is, he wasn’t the only one” he looked at Kayla concerned then “Kayla this isn’t well… _nice_ ”.  
  
Kayla said, “I know…the baby?”  
  
“Fine! Alive and breathing! So’s the Mum, she’s weak, but she’ll live” Ren said.  
  
“So much blood, though!” she said.

“Most of it is embryonic fluids, and there is always blood when a baby is born, unless you C section or something, babies come out clean then, but we didn’t have the time to do that, baby wanted to be born,” Ren said, “have you ever seen a baby been born?”  
  
“No,” said Kayla.  
  
Ren said “ maybe I should have made you stay with me then…It’s pretty amazing really, how a new life comes into the world”.  
  
Rik said, “I tried to get her to stay out”.  
  
Ren said, “ _Hmm_ , the trouble is, he wasn’t the only one”.  
  
“What is it?” Kayla said.  
  
Ren went over to the remains, steadying himself at the sight of the mess and picked up some tongs “this” he said.  
  
Kayla’s eyes widened at the Bug with the long tentacles and went white and covered her mouth, without a word Ren handed her a bowl, and he held her hair back as she threw up in it.  
  
“Brain Bug” Ren said softly, he put it down and went to her side and held her hair back “ always makes me nauseous as well…but you learn. To _cope_ ”.  
  
Kayla said, “I’m sorry, Master Ren….”.  
  
Ren nodded “the first time I saw it too, I threw up” he sighed “but he wasn’t the only one”.  
  
“How many more?” Rik asked “not sure if I can do that again… so soon”.  
  
“Probably about three, but we may be able to save one…Larvae or adolescent” said Ren “Rik go clean up and then I will”.  
  
“You're covered in blood,” Rik said.  
  
“You covered in worse,” said Ren “besides most of it is embryonic fluid”.  
  
“I guess,” he said.  
  
Kayla said, “ that was, I don’t _know_ what that **was**!”  
  
Ren said “ you will learn to cope” he looked down at himself “Ok I will go clean up myself some”.  
  
“It looks well…like your wounded”.  
  
“Embryonic fluid mostly, we had to induce the baby, and I delivered it,” he said “most babies come out covered with this stuff… Kayla go outside and take a breath and calm down if you must I’ll get cleaned up and I’ll get you, Ok? Rik, he needs too. _Rest_ ”.  
  
She nodded and went outside, Ren cleaned himself up some and dressed his scratched hands and the like and took a shower and cleaned his robes the best way he could and went and found Kayla outside.  
  
“I’m putting you on splinting and that for the rest of the day,” he said softly “ we do have three more Brain Bug victims though, so Rik is going to check them out and see if there is any way we can help them… but this has been too shocking for you anymore today….so I’m going to go check wounds, give out aspirins that sort of thing, check babies, so you’re coming with me”.  
  
“I feel like such a wimp,” she said.  
  
Ren said “your _13_! And fresh out of the academy! It’s not pleasant, Brain Bugs, especially if you have a full-grown one in your head. It attaches itself to your brain and feeds on it, the Enemy use them to make Thralls, and you know what the worse thing is?”  
  
“Um, what?”  
  
“Come…I’ll show you,” said Ren leading her away from the hospice “they should just let the poor souls pass…although I am not sure, they know what to do with them, and their probably been busy with the inflow of refugees and all, a lot of planets are finding the same problem, they don’t know what to do. Rik and I may have to offer our services, yet again”.  
  
Kayla followed him intrigued. Something had gotten him riled; Ren was usually so calm, the perfect Jadaini Master, till he came to another Prefab that had ‘ _Danger- Restricted Access on it_ , Ren entered a vestibule and handed her a mask and a white suit.  
  
“Put these on,” he said to her “ remember I am right beside you”.  
  
“Is this like Quarantine or something?” she asked.  
  
“No it is more of a holding tent,” Ren said “ but yes similar I guess” he put his pass on a Reader “Ok”.  
  
They went in, and she gasped inside the tent there were figures, behind a screen, who was shuffling around, or lying down, and some of them looked, well **dead**! And the sense she got from them shocked her.  
  
“Zombies!?” she asked, amazed.  
  
“No dead victims, dead bodies, controlled by Brain Bugs,” Ren said, “ when the host bodies die, and some of them die… well, the….”.  
  
“The bug doesn’t?”  
  
He nodded “ they might as well be zombies”.  
  
“This what happens?”  
  
“Sometimes, it feeds on the energy and that, and what is left, the body it may be dead, but the Brain Bug has total control of its host, it’s functions and all. It’s worse if the race it is using as a host has psionic powers because it can use them too” Ren said “ Caltorian’s aren’t a very psionic race…but someone of your race or even mine for example……” Ren said, “ although Rik and I seem immune…well”.  
  
“The perfect Thrall,” said Kayla “ so It controls the body?”  
  
“Die with an adult bug in you….you come back as well…one of these, poor unfortunate souls, Rik and I may have to offer our help; the Enemy use them as soldiers they are the perfect Thrall, tireless, strong, do not question orders and depending on the host…sometimes with Psionic powers or even magical ones, Jedaini we seem immune, but Force Adepts aren’t so lucky” Kayla gasped as one seemed to see her, its gaze was cold, lifeless.  
  
“They can’t see us…this is one way, they may sense us though….Caltorian’s aren’t a naturally Psionic race, but you do find children born amongst them with Force sensitivity, anyone basically can be, and they can become Jedaini, like the Baby I delivered….”  
  
Ren said, “Rik and I came across a whole village of them once, it was a few years ago now, and as naïve as we both were, well it still gives us nightmares sometimes, me especially, I’ve always been the more sensitive side of RikRen….”  
  
Kayla asked, “ is there anything we can do?”  
  
Ren nodded “Rik and I may have to offer our services”.  
  
Kayla nodded “Oh”.  
  
Ren said, “ the amount of Thralls here though…..it’s got me worried, it makes me wonder what we are going to find when we get into Asfarus space, so you need to be prepared”.  
  
Kayla nodded “ Walking Dead?”  
  
Ren nodded “come”, and they left the Prefab after taking off their quarantine gear.

She asked as she followed Ren “where are we going, Master Ren”.  
  
Ren said “to the Convalescent ward, Rik and I have been helping out there, where we are going. People are convalescing, basic wound binding, and other stuff like that, checking temperatures, that sort of thing, Rik and I have also been doing the rounds there “.  
  
Kayla nodded and said, “ how many refugees are there?”  
  
“ _Too_ many!” said Ren, pausing a little outside a prefab to get his focus and got Kayla to do the same and then entered the prefab and washed their hands and pulled on some scrubs, Ren indicated themselves” there aren’t too many people in here who are sick that’s in another ward, but they are happy for our help.”  
  
Kayla nodded, and Ren led them in “you should know this stuff Kayla, due to your early training, it’s going to be easier, and less stressful”.  
  
Kayla nodded, happy to follow him and help him do things like change bandages and something.  
  
Kayla said, “I still feel like a wimp though”.  
  
“No,” said Ren “you’re not, it is when you **stop** caring and stop feeling like a wimp is when you begin to wonder if you are in the right profession?” he went to a rack and pulled out a list, and then went to his first patient on his list, an old Caltorian woman, who had both arms bandaged, and she smiled at him as he approached.  
  
“Misria Cludy,” said Ren “how’s your arms?”  
  
“Much better Dr Ren,” the old woman said.  
  
“Have the nurses checked and changed your dressings today?” he asked.  
  
“Yes”.  
  
Ren nodded “good” he paused and nodded “you are healing well, but they do need to regularly check those skin grafts….burns like that are tricky”.  
  
“You made them feel better Dr Ren,” she said.  
  
Ren nodded “I’m a Healer…it’s my Job!”  
  
“And who is this young lady,” the woman asked, noticing Kayla.  
  
“My Apprentice,” said Ren “Kayla”.  
  
“Hello young lady,” she said with a smile, Kayla blushed suddenly shy and smiled back.  
  
“Pretty little thing,” the old lady said kindly.  
  
Ren said “ _Mmm_? I hadn’t noticed, she’s our _Apprentice_!”  
  
“And where is that nice, young Dr Rik?” she asked.  
  
“In one of the other wards,” Ren replied “ any pain?”  
  
“Not so much now, an occasional twinge” she replied, “but I am an old lady, and I am used to twinges of pain”.  
  
“Good,” said Ren “ I got them to lower the dosage of painkiller you were on, when it became clear you were on the mend, and it was clear you wouldn’t need it so much anymore, you can get dependent on it”.  
  
“I know,” she said.  
  
Ren nodded “ all looks good then” he nodded and said “ come on Kayla you can help me with my rounds! You have had enough shocks for today, and I’m going to have to give you something to help you sleep tonight! If you need it” he said.  
  
“ _Umm_ ,” she said.  
  
Ren said “it’s Ok, Kayla we aren’t judging you” he paused “you will learn Ok” as he moved around the wards, checking patients that sort of thing the woman that had given birth had been bought into the post-natal ward with the other new mums and bubs, Ren checked in there as well, making Kayla smile as she caught sight of all the newborns, reaching down and taking tiny fingers and hands, making Ren smile at her simple joy of seeing all the newborns even though they were mostly Caltorian.  
  
“So tiny,” she said, “ and so precious!”  
  
Ren nodded and said softly “Yes, maybe you have found your calling eventually, Rik and I have some basic training in obstetrics, but it is not either of our focus as well, as babies are sometimes born in the oddest circumstances and sometimes under the _worst_ possible circumstances. Rik and I have even delivered a baby on a battlefield surrounded by dead bodies; its mother was a camp follower as you sometimes find with large armies. We lost the mother but managed to save the baby. We’ll make sure you get some training in it if you want to…it maybe your calling, and it is our job as your Masters to help you find that calling, ours is general medicine basically, we can teach you what we know”.  
  
She nodded “I would like that”.  
  
Ren nodded “consider it done then” and then they spent the rest of the day doing the rounds in the wards.  
  



	6. Evening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rik, Ren and Kayla take a moment to admire the evening before heading back to their ship to discuss things.

**Severus-Refugee camp One, -just outside occupied space.**

**W** hen they got back to the ship it was sunset, and they all took a moment to stand and appreciate the sunset, watching as Severus’s single moon came up over the horizon, it only had the one Moon, and it was a little amazing to Kayla, who had grown up on Saris Prime and it’s three moons in the skies, seeing Saris 4 was also a moon.  
  
“Wow! It’s beautiful!” Kayla said.  
  
Rik and Ren standing on either side of her nodded.  
  
Kayla said, “ weird to see only one Moon though….”.  
  
Ren nodded “it would be growing up on Saris 4 as you did and in many ways us as well, Saris Prime and its moons were also one of the first sights we saw when we got split so long ago as well” he paused, and they just let her watch for a while.  
  
Rik said “I’m going to go get cleaned up! I feel well…icky! Still got some brain fluid on me I think”, and he walked into the ship.  
  
Ren nodded “ think I will do so as well, come in where you are ready Kayla” and he smiled at her and went into the ship himself.  
  
“OK,” she said realising that he had gone, frowning she saw a green flare fly across the sky what was it about green flares? She tried to remember but shrugged and gave up after a bit it would come to her eventually, so she just enjoyed the view.  
  
**R** en took a shower and got into clean robes carrying his soiled ones to the laundry, Rik was already down there putting his in the washing unit and without a word took Ren’s as well, wincing at the sight of the fresh scratches on Ren’s hands.  
  
“Err sorry Ren,” he said, sometimes he hated how bonded the two of them were!  
  
Ren nodded “they’ll heal,” he said and turned the washing unit on and walked out heading towards the kitchen/galley.  
  
Rik said to himself “I hate hurting you though Ren….you don’t deserve it!” he hated causing harm to his gentle brother, the other half of his soul, he always felt responsible for it, seeing he had been the one who had hurt Ren first all those years ago on that lonely beach.  
  
He walked into the kitchen and found Ren with his reading glasses on his computer and drinking a cup of tea, his hair was still wet, and he had cleaned himself up, and smelt of the shower, soap and deodorant.  
  
“Kimmie’s cooking a roast,” he said indicating the oven where a whole chicken or at least the Severin equivalent to one was cooking, Ren offered him the teapot and a plate of chocolate chip cookies “ extra chocolate” he added, “ they know us both so well!”  
  
Rik chuckled and sat down “yes they do”.  
  
“We couldn’t ask for a better crew,” Ren said they both had to admit Kimmie and River fussed over them all sometimes, especially Kimmie.  
  
Rik nodded “yes”.

  
Ren looked at him “ you Ok? Rik?”  
  
Rik nodded “yes”.  
  
Ren said, “I worry that’s all” he sighed “ they have thralls in a compound…dead ones, controlled, it’s got me worried with that many…what are we going to find on Asfarus?”  
  
Rik said “ Err yeah, I checked the other three, we can save one, so I sedated him but the other two….well I euthanised them, they couldn’t be saved. The Nurses thought that maybe they could, but once I explained it to the Matron, she told me to put them out of their misery, she even helped me. We can save one, but we have to do it soon”.  
  
Ren nodded “I’ll do it tomorrow with the help of the local surgeon, it’s what we agreed on, it will take a day to get the cows loaded”.  
  
“Ren…” he said.  
  
“It’s ok I’ve done it before….but is that why you are quiet? And your spirit is troubled?”  
  
Rik nodded “yes…I hate… _well_ ”.  
  
Ren nodded “sometimes it has to be done Rik…it has not only been you who has done that”.  
  
Rik nodded “but you’re not as _tainted_ by darkness as I am”.  
  
“You’re not tainted Rik, just touched, just like I am,” Ren said “ we both _are_ , you were not the only one who had to deal with well…deal with the darkness within you, during the Tests” Ren said they both didn’t speak too much of their final Tests as Apprentices, not many did it was a deeply personal thing “I will get help off the local surgeon tomorrow, and we will try and save the one we can”.  
  
Rik nodded “Ok I will help the girls load the um…Cattle”.  
  
Ren had to smile “I know you are not that impressed with that”.  
  
Rik said “ we’re a _Freighter_! **Not** a cattle truck!”.  
  
Ren chuckled “yes, well. But do you see a cattle truck _anywhere_ out here?”  
  
Rik sighed and picked up the local paper and sat down and tried to read it and sighed.  
  
“Try meditating,” said Ren “your spirit is troubled, I’m giving Kayla something to drink to help her sleep tonight, seeing she has had such a shock”.  
  
“Sorry, Ren. It’s just that she….”.  
“Wanted to stay and see it, it’s ok Rik I understand but well….she’ll still have nightmares, _I_ still have nightmares!!!”  
  
Rik said, “ me too, that village…I still see it in my mind’s eye”.  
  
Ren nodded “the trouble is that is what we might see at Asfarus, given the amount of Thralls here”.  
  
Rik nodded “it’s why I let Kayla make up her mind” he sighed and took a sip of tea “ thanks Ren, maybe I will meditate”.  
  
Ren nodded and went back to his computer and said: “it will not harm you Rik and you do not do it enough, so take it easy Rik”.  
  
Rik nodded and drank his tea “Oh Earth’s moon has finally had the Embargo lifted!”  
  
Ren nodded “that’s good news”.  
  
Rik nodded “Yeah it is, you can travel to and from the solar system again there is a bit of a curfew, and people are warned to think of their choice about travelling, but the embargo has been lifted, and this is interesting”.  
  
“What?”  
  
“A Space Hulk has been spotted near here, just drifting,” said Rik.  
  
“Hope it doesn’t fall into the hands of the enemy, then,” said Ren “where?”  
  
“Near here,” said Rik, “ we may pass it while doing the cattle run”.  
  
“ _Hmm_ ,” said Ren “ we should report it as we see it….it can’t be allowed to fall into the hands of the enemy, it is our duty to the Council and to the Order to report it if we do see it”.  
  
“They will want to send an exploration party to it as well,” Rik said “if it is not occupied, by one of The Dominion”, The Dominion was one of the other Governing bodies in the universe, and it was where some of the independent weirder chapters of the Space Marines had originated, they weren’t enemies with the Alliance, but they didn’t always see eye to eye or _agree_ with what each other was doing.  
  
“Dangerous though,” Ren said “ if we see it, we report its position, they are dangerous if they are just drifting”.  
  
“Man! I would so like to get on an exploration team for one of those things” Rik said, “but the Dominion guys generally do not like the Order there”.  
  
“Dominion Space Marines are indeed an odd lot,” said Ren “they don’t trust nor like us much, I think they think that we’re corrupted or something by demons. Or even from the Void”.  
  
Rik nodded “ yeah…Ok, we’ll report its position if we see it”.  
  
Ren continued thoughtfully “ they don’t seem to understand or see that all life comes from the Way and given their powers that some of them have, and what some of them have done to get those powers. I’m sure that some of them are tainted by the very same demons or creatures from the void that they claim **WE** are!” he paused “People say that members of the Jadaini Order are odd, but some of those Dominion Space Marines… well, they even scare me! Give me the standard guys anytime, they can be rough a little rowdy even and are different races and that…but well their, _Normal_! Their human! At least you know where you stand with the regular guys, but those Chapters from Dominion….”.  
  
“I know the feeling,” Rik said, “they're scary!”.  
  
Ren nodded “we’re odd maybe, but **they're** odder!”  
  
Rik nodded “yeah, they are…. I spent some time on a mission with some of them once….” He looked at the notice “Ok; we’ll report it if we see it, but man, would I _love_ to explore one!”  
  
Ren said “me too. I often wonder what their hiding, maybe they have artefacts from the ancient Jedaini that we could use, but the Dominion guys, they don’t like us with them…what are they afraid of? Are they afraid of us? Or what we might find? I think our powers freak them out a little” he paused “drifting you say?”  
  
“Supposedly…” Rik said, and then he caught on, and a sly smile crept across his beaked face “ and are you thinking what I am thinking?”  
  
Ren said, “ and what’s that?”  
  
“That if we find it. we have a peek at it ourselves if we can?” Rik said.  
  
“It may be dangerous,” Ren said.  
  
Rik grinned and let out a happy hiss “seriously Ren! I swear you got some of me as well when we got accidentally separated!” he smiled then and hugged him “your _MY_ counterpart alright!”  
  
“If we see it, we mark its position” Ren started “but we do what we were **Paid** for first! Drop the cows off!”  
  
“ _Hmm_. We don’t have to report it right away” said Rik, chewing on one of his claws “if we find it”.  
  
Ren said “ _Mmm_ ”.  
  
Rik grinned “come on Ren! Maybe we could, _um_ , check it out”.  
  
Ren said, “We really should report it…”.  
  
“I know,” he said.

  
“It’s our _duty_ as Jedaini to do so,” said Ren.  
  
“Your right it is,” said Rik “but…”.

**S** affi came in then they looked up, and she went right to the oven “checking my roast” she said.  
  
“ _You’re_ cooking it?” Rik asked, “I thought Kimmi was!”  
  
“Mistress Kimmi and Mistress River were invited to a dance tonight down in the Town Square, by some of the locals” Saffi replied, “ there is only you and Master Ren and young Kayla for dinner tonight, so I thought I’d cook you a roast”.  
  
“River _went_?” Ren asked then.  
  
“Yes,” said Saffi, “Kimmi told me to tell you both not to wait up for them”.  
  
“Kim’s planning a good night!” Rik said with a cheeky grin and a suggestive waggle of his eyebrows.  
  
“I’m more surprised that _River_ went!” said Ren “good for her, though!” he paused and frowned at Rik “Rik get your mind out of the gutter!”  
  
“Oh come on, _Ren_! Clearly, that is what she’s planning!” Rik said.  
  
“True…but” said Ren with a shrug “Kimmi I can _understand_ …not so sure about River”.  
  
Rik said, “just because _you_ and to some extent, _I_ are practically monks! Doesn’t mean _everyone_ else is!” making Ren look down “ sorry Ren”.  
  
Ren said, “ it is true though”.  
  
Rik said, “ to be honest I’m not sure…what to do” he shrugged “ Ash…she wants to, but I don’t know **HOW**!” he paused “ok, I mean I know what it is and what to do obviously! But _that’s_ **not** the issue!” he stopped embarrassed, making Ren smile “you know what I mean!”  
  
Ren said, “yes, oddly enough, I do”.  
  
Rik groaned “Argh! We are _such_ innocents, aren’t we?” he sighed.  
  
Ren said “yes”.  
  
Saffi who had been standing there the entire time suddenly said, “I’m adept and capable of quite a few hundred forms of pleasuring, and I am capable of learning more” making them both look at her in amazement.  
  
“Your fully functional?” Rik asked.  
  
“Told you she was more _Android_ than _Droid_ ,” said Ren “ probably as advanced as Sera is in her way”.  
  
“I’m fully functional Master Rik, Master Ren and capable of both”.  
  
Rik said, “Err are you a sexbot?”  
  
Ren said “ given her shape and form…wouldn’t be surprised if she’s based on one”.  
  
“ _Mmm_ ,” Rik said “Positronic Brain?”  
  
“Yes, Master Rik” she replied “ and capable of learning, developing and growing”.  
  
“ _Hmm_ ,” said Rik “ than how come your former owner did give you a more um… _human appearance_ , if you are that advanced?”  
  
“Maybe she liked the way she looked,” Ren said.  
  
“She didn’t deem it necessary,” said Saffi “ although she was working on it”.  
  
Rik stood up “ where are her notes and that then…maybe I could finish it for her if that is what you want?”  
  
“In my database Rik,” said Sera appearing then.  
  
Rik nodded “ if you give me access Sera, maybe I could finish Saffi off” he paused “Ren and me, we have some technical knowledge, our people as you know are quite advanced... granted they didn’t make robots and that. But were rather advanced”.  
  
“I’ll give you access, then Master Rik,” said Sera “ where are Kimi and River?”  
  
“Out dancing apparently,” said Rik with a chuckle, “one of the local boys asked Kimmi out on a _date_!”  
  
“Ok,” said Sera “I’ll download the information you asked for into your computer “.  
  
Rik nodded “ yes, thanks!”  
  
She nodded and disappeared, and Saffi said “ _Hmm_ a bit more time needed on the roast, I will let you know when dinner is ready” and walked out.  
  
“Now about that space hulk,” said Rik, “ I say we try and find it”.  
  
Ren said, “ we do have a load to drop off though”.  
  
Rik groaned, Ren’s sense of duty sometimes drove him nuts.  
  
“Ok I get the point but Ren, we’ll mark its location and see if we can have a look-see”.  
  
“Very well,” said Ren “but Rik you need to go meditate for a bit and relax, and I will go see if Kayla is alright”.  
  
“Yes,” said Rik as Ren got up, Rik winced at his scratched hands feeling bad for inflicting them on him in the struggle, Ren had dressed them as Rik had dressed his own.  
  
Ren went off to find Kayla “ sorry Ren,” Rik said softly, he sometimes hated the circumstances that had left he and Ren so bonded to each other, it wasn’t fair on them both at times he felt, but especially Ren.  
  
Ren went out to find Kayla, to see if she was ok knowing the poor girl had had a terrible shock, it had been her choice to remain, but it had shocked her deeply.  
  
It worried Ren what they might find on Asfarus, walking Corpses similar to those in Horror movies about Zombies came to mind, rotting corpses kept animated by the things inside their brains, he hoped not, he still had nightmares about that village that he and Rik had come across, on a mission from the Justice and he knew Rik did too, it wasn’t unknown to Ren to be awoken in the middle of the night to find Rik standing there shaken and white due to a nightmare too, or to wake up to find Rik sleeping in the same bed as he sometimes, seeking comfort from his presence, it wasn’t anything sexual just two brothers trying to comfort each other although many said that seeing he and Rik were so bonded they would never be able to actually find that with someone else, and maybe they were right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Authors Notes:  
> * I picture Saffy the hostess droid on the Serendipity as a very obviously feminine looking robot. And Probably a bit more like Data from Star Trek rather than C3PO  
> * Slight inspiration here from Warhammer 40k as well, regarding the Dominion and the Alliance Space Marines and space Hulks.


	7. Sword Practise!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ren and Kayla have a training session with their swords!

**I** t was later that evening after dinner as it was now full dark on Severus and there was a storm rumbling in the hills, he found Kayla down in the cargo hold practising with her new blade, getting the knack of how it felt.  
  
Ren watched her for a bit and then smiling he came down to join her igniting his single-bladed one.  
  
“Want to get some practice in?” he asked her gently.  
  
She looked at him as she caught sight of his single blade, Ren generally used a double bladed one, but he could quite easily use a single-bladed one just as well.  
  
“ _Really_?” she asked.  
  
He nodded “it’ll help” and then asked “ game?”  
  
She chuckled “ you bet!”  
  
Ren said, “ then prepare to defend yourself, Apprentice!”  
  
Laughing Kayla and he connected, their blades both on practise mode. Ren was slower than Rik, but he was no less agile it seemed, like Rik he had developed his style of fighting, he didn’t flip around too much, but Rik didn’t either, they both said that they were both too oddly shaped to do it comfortably for long, but Ren could jump, and he could move when he wanted to, he used a form of martial arts mainly, and he was damn good!  
  
“use the Way to try and anticipate your movements and mine,” said Ren encouragingly.  
  
“I’m not that **_GOOD_** yet!” Kayla said.  
  
He chuckled “you are better than you think…trust in that”.  
  
Kayla chuckled and ducked out of the way of one of Ren’s swings, and he nodded in approval “just let go” he urged.  
  
Kayla nodded and altered her stance and attacked Ren who retaliated, with Skill of his own and she laughed and said: “ way to go Master Ren”.  
  
They moved around the landing bay with their Blades, and Kayla found out she enjoyed these bouts with both her Masters, Rik had been teaching her techniques lately, but Ren did as well, their styles were both very different, but she knew that together their styles synced well.  
  
“Come and get me!” Ren said to Kayla, jumping up onto one of the platforms that overlooked the hold.  
  
“No fair!” said Kayla grinning opening her wings and flying up but finding Ren not there, Ren grinned and waved at her from the other side.  
  
“Master Ren!” she groaned.  
  
Ren appeared next to her “Teleportation, useful skill” and went for her again she ducked out of the way laughing.  
  
“Well done Apprentice,” he said with a nod, and they fought again, and he said “ remember I am slower than Rik but no less agile” he pulled off his outer robe “ ** _don’t_ **hold back!”  
  
“I’m afraid of hurting you, thus hurting Master Rik,” she said.  
  
“Our sabres are on practice mode Kayla, we can’t hurt each other too much” he swapped hands and smiling came at her again, she jumped back and retaliated backing up to the railing, as Ren had left her now room to run.  
  
Backing up she jumped onto the railing using her wings to glide down, but Ren still beat her down as he just jumped down using the way to cushion his fall, also his lizard-like build probably helped.  
  
Kayla thought that he was pretty amazing, Ren was amazing, agile and quick and faster than his shape suggested, one with the way, Ren could more than made up for his shape and size.  
  
Kayla said, “your good Master Ren and you’re the last person I would expect to be so good!”  
  
“Well isn’t that **_Kind of the Point_**?” Ren asked, “so you do get better?”  
  
“yeah,” she said.  
  
Ren nodded “well done though for keeping up with me so well?”  
  
Kayla said “I intend to be just like you one day! Like those other older apprentices, I see with their Masters, fighting side by side in perfect sync and tandem with each other. Like you and Rik!”  
  
“Rik and I we’re something different,” Ren said “people would be hard-pressed to match us. We are part of each other; our souls…they are One”.  
  
They fought a bit more, and Kayla was clearly tiring, so Ren powered down his sword and said: “ you are tired, I will give you something to help you sleep, you had something of a shock” he said gently.  
  
“I’m not a little girl Master Ren,” she said.  
  
“No. you’re not, but you have been well….sheltered. Much like we have” he said.  
  
She nodded “ I guess”.  
  
“Just a mild sedative…nothing more” he said, “ you will probably find it hard to sleep otherwise”.  
  
“You don’t need to Master Ren,” she said.  
  
Ren said, “you had a shock, I can see it in you”.  
  
“Ok,” she said.  
  
Ren smiled “It’s ok I still get nightmares too” he patted her shoulder “ go and get some sleep Kayla…take the sedative I put beside your bed”.  
  
“Ok,” said Kayla and went to her room.

**R** en looked around the hold and sighed the number of Thralls worried him what they would find on Asfarus?  
  
“Are you sure we are going to be able to fit the cows in here?” Rik asked, wandering in, and looking around the empty hold.   
  
Ren had been distracted and had not sensed him.  
  
Ren looked up “ thought you were meditating?”  
  
Rik jumped down he was barefoot and said “I did,” he said “but my spirit it is restless” he unfolded his vestigial wings and refolded them, Rik's wings were small he couldn’t fly with them, but he could glide.  
  
Ren said, “ want a bout?”  
  
“No,” he said, “I’m just worried though about the Thralls”.  
  
Ren said, “ my feelings as well”.  
  
Rik asked, “ Walking Dead come to mind?”  
  
Ren nodded “yes.”  
  
Rik nodded “this is worrisome” he paced a little.  
  
Ren nodded “ we need to offer our services to the poor souls they have here”.  
  
Rik nodded “the only way to kill them is to destroy them totally or to do what I did….sever the connection, between host and body, and you and I aren’t yet strong enough to do a mass severing even together, it can be done, I‘ve seen Ondrina do it, and it is harder when they are already dead, as the bug feeds on what is left”.  
  
“I _know_ that,” said Ren “I’ve had to do it before…not as much as you admittingly….I always try to sever the connection; it is gentler and less messy. Rik your gotta stop thinking you have to protect me, I’m a Doctor just like you are! We aren’t on the Justice anymore! No more sheltering me! It is **_Kayla_** we need to protect and train! The other two girls Kimmie and River are a little more experienced and generally protect each other I’ve noticed, their sisters after all even if one is adopted, the sisterhood bond is there….but Kayla she is only 13 and still a child, you don’t need to protect and shelter _me,_ Rik!”  
  
Rik sighed “I hate hurting you though!”  
  
Ren looked down at his dressed arms “you are not the only one Rik, it is who we both are and who we’ll always _be_! Our bond cannot be broken; we can shelter each other some but not block it. As I have said to you before, we can’t forever wrap each other in cotton wool!! But it is not only Kayla who has started a journey, but we have also started one together. You, me, and Kayla”.  
  
“I feel the urge. The need to **protect** you!” said Rik.  
  
Ren nodded and said “do you think you’re the only one who feels that way?... I feel the same way towards _you_! We are part of each other, remember? Our souls are linked forever”.  
  
“You do?” he asked.  
  
“Yes,” said Ren “Rik and Ren, forever, remember? we weren’t born this way, but this is what happened when we experimented with something we shouldn’t have, and thus we must remain that way” he then asked, “ are you sure you don’t want a bout?”  
  
“No,” said Rik.  
  
Ren nodded “I’m going to do some reading then, I need to help the surgeon in the morning remove that parasite, and I don’t know enough about Caltorian biology or anatomy we didn’t have any on the Justice, to see if we can save the victim…I’m not in charge of that tomorrow I’m just assisting” Ren wandered off.  
  
Rik looked at the empty hold “cows” he groaned “I can’t believe we’re taking Cows!” he sighed and left the hold himself.


	8. Loading the Serendipity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Serendipity gets loaded to go

“ **S** o, 4 Bulls, 16 cows and the rest are calves,” said Rik looking at the manifest they had been given from the farmer who had hired them for the job.  
  
“Yes,” he was told.  
  
He nodded “ and some food supplies?”  
  
“Yes”.  
  
“Ok,” said Rik “look after my starfighter though”.  
  
“We will” he was promised.  
  
Rik nodded “Ok” he looked at the cattle, the bigger bull with its four horns (two on its head and two near it mouth more like tusks than horns) was almost as tall as he was at its shoulder “that is _some_ Bull!” he remarked to the farmer.  
  
“Uhhuh a prize-winning Bull that one!” the farmer said, “ good breeding stock, thanks so much for agreeing to this Guardian Rik, we’re stuck here at the edge of occupied space, and there is rarely any passing ships willing to help us, their usually military or enemy or pirate”.  
  
Rik nodded “ fair enough, want to help us in loading them?”  
  
“Already am, I got a couple of the farmhands to help you load,” said the farmer.  
  
“Thanks, I admit I haven’t had much um…experience with um…cattle” Rik said.  
  
“I can tell, “ the farmer said with a smile “farming it has to be in your blood”.  
  
“Luckily I _have_ had experience with Cattle,” Kimmie said.  
  
“Aww this calf is simply _adorable_!” said Kayla then going to the youngest calf and putting her arms around it.  
  
“Late drop that one,” said the farmer “ all the others had calved by the time that little one was born….hope it survives, it seems healthy enough though”.  
  
Kayla fed it from a bottle of milk she had been given; the mother cow stood nearby, she’d had a little trouble producing enough milk for the late calf.  
  
Rik said “Kayla!”  
  
Kayla said, “yes, I know Master Rik”.  
  
Rik said softly “ we need to get them loaded”.  
  
“We were also wondering if you could also take some chickens for us as well, mainly hens and chicks but a couple of Roosters too, we haven’t heard from them for about a month now, and the last we heard was that raids were plaguing them,” said the Farmer “ we’ll pay you extra…..”.  
  
Ren walked up at that point and said “ add them into the Hold, how many?” ignoring the glare from Rik “there’s still room”.  
  
“About 60, they’re in portable pens so they won’t take up to much room”.  
  
“Ok,” said Ren “ we can do that for you”.  
  
“We’ll pay you extra…” he offered.  
  
“No need, you're paid us well enough for the cattle,” Ren said.  
  
“Thank you,” said the farmer “ when you get back we’ll help disguise your ship for you”.  
  
“ _Ren_!” said Rik.  
  
“We can fit some hens and that in Rik,” said Ren, Rik groaned.  
  
“What you think we are? _Noah’s Ark_!” Rik countered.  
  
Kayla grinned “I love that story!”  
  
“You **Would**!” said Rik, it was quite clear to them both that Kayla loved animals.  
  
Kayla said, “ two by two, all the animals of Earth, Ark must have been huge!”  
  
Ren said “ yeah it’s a good legend, but I think it’s more of an idea than an actual truth although there may be some truth to it as well…legends often have a grain of truth in them; maybe the ‘Ark’ was a merchant ship that carried livestock from place to place along the Nile. Although 60 chooks will be fine”.  
  
“Can I have a chick?” Kayla asked then.  
  
The farmer smiled at her and said, “now you have farming blood in you lass…but drop by my farm later and pick up one or two”.  
  
“Wow! Really!” Kayla said.  
  
“Got some Ducklings too if you’re interested, and some Goslings, that’s a baby goose by the way” he added.  
  
“Can I Master Rik? Master Ren?” she asked.  
  
“Ok,” said Ren “ but make sure it’s a Hen chick though, fresh eggs will be good when she’s old enough to lay them, Roosters can get a little aggressive”.  
  
“Doesn’t’ she need a Rooster to lay eggs?”  
  
“Not necessarily, Hens they always have an egg regardless, “ said Ren.  
  
“Their hermaphroditic?” she asked.  
  
“No, the egg is infertile,” Ren said, “ get two hens if you want, we could make a pen for them”.  
  
“Really!” she asked.  
  
“Yes,” he said.  
  
“Oh, thank you, Master Ren!” and hugged him.  
  
Rik groaned and sighed, despite being a big Lizard and looking more like Dragonkin, Kayla clearly loved Ren, he was so _huggable_!  
  
“Go on,” said Ren with a gentle smile (that was the reason too, Ren looked gentle and kind) “ see if you can get us some fresh milk too….we’ll load the cattle”.  
  
“Would you like some fresh fruit and Vege as well?” the farmer asked.  
  
“Yes,” said Rik.  
  
He nodded “I’ll arrange for some to be sent to your ship then and probably some fresh honey as well, it is the least we can do for you, for bringing us medical supplies and the like, for the refugees and doing this drop for us as well, to our sister planet”.  
  
“No problem,” said Ren “ want us to pay for the supplies as well?”  
  
“No,” he said “you've done more than enough for us already” Rik knew Ren would pay for them anyway.  
  
“Ok, let’s load the cattle!” said River.  
  
Rik nodded “ Ren we’ll take care of things here, so go help the surgeon with the patient”.  
  
“Ok,” said Ren “ load them into the main hold, the chooks can also go into the main hold above the cows, the stuff for Asfarus is in the aft hold, seeing Rik’s starfighter _isn’t_ at the moment…also, we could probably load them into spare quarters if need be”.  
  
“We can put the chooks above the cattle on the ramps,” said Rik “ it is only a few hours away”.  
  
“Alight let me know when it is loaded and ready to go. Hopefully, I’ll be out of surgery than” he sighed and picked up his kit, he had to admit that this was hard work and not really what he was _used_ to, but it felt all the more _real,_ and he felt more alive than he had felt for a while! He felt more needed! _This_ was where he _wanted_ to be! in frontier space, helping where he could, and he knew Rik felt the same. Always the more action-orientated, Rik **LIKED** been out in the field, practising medicine! And helping the wounded, it was why they had become a healer in the first place! and had joined the medical profession; they both liked to help people!  
  
“Maybe that is what our dream meant?” he said to himself walking over to the refugee hospital “ _time to be reborn again_ ”.  
  
“Is he ok?” River asked Rik, Ren had been quiet and reserved all morning “ he hasn’t seemed himself”.  
  
“Yeah he’s fine,” said Rik “ he just tends to do that when he’s got a major lifesaving surgery to do”.  
  
“Ok,” said River, she had been won over by Ren as well.  
  
Rik said, “ let’s get this cattle loaded, and then you and I, River need to have a chat, about something Ren, and I were discussing last night”.  
  
She looked at him, then “ really?”  
  
He nodded “ something that should benefit you as well” and turned to help the farmhands loading the cattle onto the freighter, he wasn’t happy about it, but they did need the money.


	9. Rik and River

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rik starts teaching River how to use her largely untrained powers properly.

**Severus-Refugee camp One, -just outside occupied space- 2952**

**I** t was later the _Serendipity_ had been loaded and was ready to go, but Ren was still in Surgery, so River joined Rik as she knew he wanted to talk to her.  
  
Rik and River walked along the riverbank at the farming community in silence, and River wondered why he had specifically asked for her… _she_ **wasn’t** their Apprentice!  
  
They walked in silence for a while and then he said suddenly “can you feel it? River?” and stopped.  
  
River asked, “Uhm what?”  
  
Rik said “can you feel the Energy all around you? Life itself? Can you feel the river? The trees? The rocks? The grass? The animals and the insects?”  
  
River said “Err….?”  
  
Rik nodded “you can? Can’t you? I know you can, we know you can! So Ok I will tell you, Ren and I, we were discussing you last night, and Ren and I decided that although technically you aren’t our Apprentice as well we are meant to be your guides, so we decided to take a more active part on your behalf in helping you train and understand your powers more, specifically me, I specifically asked that it be me for this, seeing I’m more suited to you for this than Ren is and Kayla is more his Apprentice than she is mine, we’re both responsible for her training more or less, but Ren is more suited to her, you need some training in your powers though, they are wayward and are sometimes beyond your control”.  
  
“ **You're** going to train me?” she asked.  
  
“Yes,” said Rik “ we are going to train you…well more specifically me, help you gain control. You've done quite well on your own, but you need more help and support”.  
  
“Serious!” she asked, “but aren’t I a little old?”  
  
“No, you’re not, “ he said, “but you need some help”.  
  
River said, “Wow, I don’t know what to say, Master Rik!”.  
  
Rik said “say nothing, we’re not technically meant to be your masters, but I suspect that Mistress Ondrina knew this. And that is why she handed you over to us; you need some help you with learning _how_ ”.  
  
“But Master Rik….” she said “Oh my! I ‘m _so-so_ happy! But aren’t I too old?”  
  
Rik said, “no you’re not…not really” he paused “but you do need some training River….this is bigger than you are”.  
  
River said, “I know”.  
  
Rik said “Good!”  
  
“But couldn’t that lead to the ‘ _Dark Side’_ though?” she asked.  
  
Rik bade River sit down on the grass by the river and joined her “first thing, first lesson… _there is no ‘Dark Side’ or ‘Light Side_ ’ _there is only the Path and the Way,_ what Both you and Kim call ‘ _The Force_ ’ it is Psionics with a few extra’s it is how an individual chooses to **use** it.”  
  
River nodded “Oh your said that once or twice”.  
  
“It’s the truth,” he said, “I’ll teach you how to use it, but what you do with it is entirely up to you!”  
  
She nodded ”ok”.  
  
Rik nodded and stood up beside her “ can you feel it?”  
  
“Feel…what?” she asked “what am I looking for specifically? What am I _supposed_ to be feeling?”  
  
“Life itself,” said Rik.  
  
River said, “um Ok”.  
  
Rik nodded “take a deep breath and expand your senses and feelings”.  
  
She nodded “Ok, I get a little worried when I do that, though?”  
  
“What are you sensing?”  
  
“The river,” she said “it ripples and rushes, and there is a waterfall further upstream that it goes over”.  
  
Rik nodded “I can feel that too” he had sat down beside her.  
  
“You feel like Ren,” she said, “only edgier, darker, sharper”.  
  
Rik said, “I am the darker side of Ren”.  
  
She nodded “yeah, Kayla mentioned that”.  
  
“Concentrate on the waterfall” he urged “ maybe we could project ourselves to it”.  
  
“Serious?”  
  
“Yeah,” he said, “I can do it easily, but we’re concentrating on _you_ today River”.  
  
She nodded “Ok”.  
  
“How did you get your name ’ _River_ ’?” he asked.  
  
“Er, I don’t know….it’s just that was what I was called,” said River.  
  
“Ok,” he said “I like it though….it suits you” he paused “but think ……picture your mind as a river, a river flows, it is steady, like a beating drum. It is strong, but it is also fluid, it can change, a rock chucked into a river” he picked up a rock and threw it into the river “makes it ripple…it clears away and is calm once more, but the river is not the same, as the rock becomes a part of it forever….that is how to picture the Way”.  
  
She nodded “yeah?”  
  
Rik said “yes”.  
  
River grinned “ you sound so funny Master Rik!....when you’re trying to be mystical!”  
  
“ **Trying**?” Rik asked.  
  
“Ren does it better,” she said.  
  
“Ok, ok he does, he’s just naturally mystical I had to _work_ on it!” Rik said, “but concentrate, picture the waterfall, see it in your mind use it as a focus”.  
  
She nodded “I sense it….it is beautiful!”  
  
He nodded “it is indeed….concentrate, feel it flow and become that flow”.  
  
“Ok,” said River closing her eyes and trying to calm her mind “there’s something under the waterfall……” she said.  
  
“Yes, I notice that too,” said Rik “ a cave I think doesn’t feel unnatural though it might be pretty actually I’m getting an impression of water crystals and that”.  
  
“Really,” River asked, “I’m just sensing the cave”.  
  
Rik laughed “you probably aren’t fully attuned to it” she became aware of his presence as he adjusted his position, he was warm like Ren, not reptilian at all despite his appearance.  
  
“You’re not cold at all,” she said.  
  
“Did you _expect_ me to be?” Rik asked, “I’m warm-blooded you know just like you are”.  
  
“it’s just that you look reptilian.”  
  
“Not all reptiles are cold-blooded, many dinosaurs aren’t and nor are dragons, I am Saurian, so I’m more advanced than a common garden variety skink!”  
  
River then made a mental picture of a common variety skink with Rik's colours.  
  
“ **Very** funny!” Rik said, sensing the humour behind it.  
  
“Err sorry,” she said.  
  
“ _Concentrate_ River, you're rather powerful if untrained and a little undisciplined, you're done a fine job training yourself, but you need some training in their use”.  
  
She said, “yeah, I guess I do….”.  
  
Rik said, “Ok concentrate on the waterfall….try and project yourself to it like I am”.  
  
“Err…..you sure?”  
  
Rik said, “it is not that far a projection”.  
  
“Ok,” she said.  
  
“I will help,” said Rik, “River concentrate on the waterfall, put yourself there”.  
  
River nodded and did so, feeling Rik take her hands and hold onto them.  
  
“Wow,” said River a few moments later as she found herself standing beside Rik near the waterfall.  
  
“Not bad,” said Rik joining her she realised that he wasn’t floating and that he seemed more solid than her.  
  
“Err,” she said.  
  
“Your first mental projection of yourself,” Rik said with a smile “not bad for a first try”.  
  
“I look like a _ghost_!” she said.  
  
Rik chuckled “yes well you need some more practice, but the point is…you did it!”  
  
“I did…didn’t I?”  
  
“Yep,” said Rik.  
  
“I can’t even _tell_ that you’re a Mental projection!” River said.  
  
“Yes well…. we’re had a little more practise at it” said Rik with a chuckle looking down at himself “and well your seen RikRen! We haven’t quite yet got the ability to project ourselves across light years yet though”.  
  
River said, “ err yeah, I guess”.  
  
Rik chuckled “good job though for the first time”.  
  
“Well done,” said another voice and Rik looked up in amazement as Ren appeared, he looked tired but satisfied.  
  
“Master Ren,” said River.  
  
“I’m meditating,” said Ren “ as Rik said we have a little more experience at this”.  
  
River said, “you can’t tell!”  
  
Ren said, “it takes some practice, but you eventually should be able to do this as well, as well as Kayla”.  
  
She nodded “Ok”.  
  
“Operation work?” Rik asked his brother/twin? River, had to admit she still wasn’t sure about that, but could two people be brothers if they _shared_ a soul?  
  
“Yes,” said Ren “it did. Hopefully, he will recover with minimal side effects”.  
  
Rik nodded “good job…., I know how hard that would have been for you, which is why we do the only thing we can do if they have a bug in their head, sometimes it can’t be removed” he paused “ severing the connection it is the hardest part”.  
  
Ren nodded “it wasn’t a mature one, so we were able to get the connection and sever it and remove it but sometimes the way you did it…sometimes has to be done that way if it is a mature one” he paused “Rik I’ve had to do that too once or twice myself there is no need to shelter me from it” he paused “but hopefully the victim shall recover”.  
  
Rik nodded “ and the Thralls in the lockup?”  
  
“We may need to offer our services?” Ren said, “I checked them, we can’t save any of them though….seeing some of them are already dead….”.  
  
Rik gasped as he heard that “ oh my…., you mean?”  
  
Ren nodded “Walking Dead, Zombies basically, you can tell their dead…as some of them are starting to um… _deteriorate_ ”.  
  
“Like that village?” said Rik referring to earlier adventure that they had both had with the Justice.  
  
River covered her mouth “Oh…my….Gosh!”  
  
Ren nodded and went to her side and went through her; River looked sheepish “um I’m not as good as this as you are Master Ren”.  
  
Ren chuckled “ sorry I should have thought….but it seems to me… that your seen something like this before or something similar”.  
  
Rik nodded “yes”.  
  
Rik said “How about we all get back to our bodies and then you can tell us about it”.  
  
River nodded “yeah I think that’s a good idea…er, I’m feeling a little strained”.  
  
“You’re not used to this,” said Rik “Ren and I we can keep it up indefinitely pretty much as ourselves, but not as RikRen though….we’re still perfecting that and we can’t yet project ourselves across light years…. But like this in the same vicinity we can keep it up pretty indefinitely, we call it _Way-Walking_ and we can also ‘ _Dreamwalk_ ’ both as ourselves and as RikRen, we can do it longer then as RikRen if we both remain asleep, some others…. we met realised that they could do it too and it scared them some.”  
  
River said, “you can Dreamwalk as RikRen?”  
  
“Yeah it is somewhat easier than Mental Projecting, but we will try to teach you that as well, and we are trying to perfect that as well so we can do it while awake as well,” Ren said, “but let’s do as Rik says and go back to our body and you can tell us what you saw”.  
  
River nodded “ err, how do I do that…...?” Rik told her and helped her.


End file.
